Geographical pattern of UK trade

This note looks at the UK’s main trading partners over the last 10-15 years. The attached Excel spreadsheet (see under supporting documents) allows for easy access and presentation of 2018 data on UK trade with individual countries.

The EU as a bloc is the UK’s largest trading partner. In 2018, it accounted for 46% of UK exports of goods and services and 54% of the UK’s imports. The EU’s share of UK exports has been falling in recent years: in 1999, the EU’s share was nearly 55%.

Looking at individual countries, the US is the UK’s largest trading partner. The UK exported £118 billion of goods and services to the US in 2018, 18% of the total. This was more than double the value of exports to Germany, the UK’s second largest export market (£55 billion). 10 of the UK’s top 25 export markets in 2018 were EU member states, as were 12 of the top 25 countries from which the UK imports.

Trade with China has expanded rapidly in recent years. China now accounts for over 7% of UK imports compared with 1.5% in 1999 and is the UK’s fourth largest source of imports. The UK exported £23 billion of goods and services to China in 2018 making it the UK's sixth largest export market.

The Commonwealth accounts for around 10% of UK trade. This proportion has remained reasonably stable over the last decade. The UK’s largest trading partners among the Commonwealth countries are India, Australia, Canada, Singapore and South Africa.